Brachytherapy

Brachytherapy is a form of radiation therapy in which small radioactive implants are placed inside your body to fight your cancer. Placing the therapy inside your body enables your physician to use higher doses of radiation than with conventional external beam radiation therapy. Brachytherapy can help to relieve pain or other symptoms caused by a tumor. Radioisotopes used in brachytherapy implants are in the form of seeds, ribbons or wires. They usually are delivered with a needle or hollow catheter and can stay in your body for minutes, days or even permanently, depending on your particular condition.

Discover Our Difference

Our physicians are skilled in the delivery of advanced technology, such as brachytherapy, for the treatment of several conditions, including prostate, uterine, and cervical cancers. Brachytherapy delivers therapeutic radiation to tumors on a temporary or permanent basis while sparing surrounding tissue.

We offer several types of internal radiation:

High-dose rate brachytherapy often can be delivered either in an outpatient basis during sessions lasting a few minutes, or over a few days which involves hospitalization.

Plaque therapy involves temporarily sewing the radiation source next to the tumor in the eye.

In some cases, your physician may recommend permanent brachytherapy in which radioactive material is placed in your body and not removed. This is commonly referred to as prostate seed implants. The radiation diminishes over time.

Our oncologists and radiologists work closely with a multidisciplinary team to provide you with a precise treatment plan especially for your condition, resulting in a better outcome for you. This team may include radiation oncologists, radiologists, medical oncologists, pathologists, gynecologists, urologists, dermatologists, nurses and many others.

Our team works closely with Masonic Cancer Center researchers at the university to find new and better ways to prevent, diagnose and treat cancer. Here, scientists and physicians work together to bring laboratory results to patients, combining world class research with exceptional clinical care. Ask your physician about participating in one of our clinical trials.

Conditions We Treat

Our Care Team

Our specialists are nationally known for their work in radiation therapy and work with a team that includes medical physicists, dosimetrists, radiation therapists, radiation oncology nurses and residents. Our goal is to provide you with the best combination of research and medicine to address your individual medical needs. Our care team includes:

Discrimination is Against the Law. We comply with applicable Federal civil rights laws and Minnesota laws. We do not discriminate against, exclude or treat people differently because of race, color, national origin, age, disability, sex, sexual orientation or gender identity. Please see our Patients’ Bill of Rights.